from http://www.mlsplayers.org/files/5_2_07_salary_info_club.pdf DAL Alvarez Arturo M 32,819.00$ 46,019.00$ DAL Burse Ray GK 17,700.00$ 17,700.00$ DAL Cooper Kenny F 80,000.00$ 83,000.00$ DAL Daniels Andrew D 12,900.00$ 12,900.00$ DAL Dello-Russo Michael D 17,700.00$ 17,700.00$ DAL Gbandi Chris D 100,000.00$ 103,750.00$ DAL Gbandi Sandy M 12,900.00$ 12,900.00$ DAL Goodson Clarence D 48,378.75$ 53,378.75$ DAL Hislop Shaka GK 220,800.00$ 220,800.00$ DAL Ibrahim Abdus F 50,000.00$ 83,000.00$ DAL Jones Scott M 12,900.00$ 12,900.00$ DAL Krizanovic Tommy F 12,900.00$ 12,900.00$ DAL McCarty Dax M 33,000.00$ 45,500.00$ DAL Mina Roberto F 80,000.00$ 80,000.00$ DAL Moor Drew D 53,350.00$ 65,850.00$ DAL Nunez Ramon M 100,000.00$ 118,000.00$ DAL Oduro Dominic F 17,700.00$ 17,700.00$ DAL Pitchkolan Aaron M 30,000.00$ 30,000.00$ DAL Rhine Bobby D 60,000.00$ 62,500.00$ DAL Ricchetti Pablo M 120,000.00$ 126,625.00$ DAL Ruiz Carlos F 325,000.00$ 435,000.00$ DAL Sala Dario GK 110,000.00$ 119,875.00$ DAL Saragosa Marcelo M 67,008.00$ 71,883.00$ DAL Serioux Adrian D 108,000.00$ 120,500.00$ DAL Thompson Abe F 30,000.00$ 30,000.00$ DAL Toja Juan Carlos M 100,008.00$ 100,008.00$ DAL Wagenfuhr David D 30,870.00$ 30,870.00$ DAL Wagner Blake D 33,000.00$ 45,500.00$ DAL Wallace Anthony M 45,000.00$ 78,000.00$ DAL Yi Alex D 30,870.00$ 30,870.00$
When I originally heard about the Blanco deal, I prayed that he would cost the Fire a small fortune and that he would be a complete bust. So far, so good.
I make more than the rookies with a part time bartending job, I can only imagine what they have to do to get by until they get a raise. I can see Pitch got one, last year he was making what they were, now its up to 30k, still nothing in pro sports land
Then they are free to reject the contract and start bartending....and there will be a line of about 100 guys behind them willing to take the developmental money for the chance to play pro soccer and make a living out of it in the long term. That's the facts, jack.
What Ryan said. I would think the minimum would be at least 50k. I know most of the clubs are struggling to break even, but hopefully that'll change with more SSSs.
And the same could be said about any other sport, yet their unions actually stick up for the utility infielder or the 6 starting pitcher.
The unions in those sports have some power, and they actually have leagues with strong revenues to point to. Right now MLS is in a transition stage from "just keeping our heads above water" to "solidly profitable". So, how do they get to "solidly profitable"? Which is where the Union wants them to be so that they can negotiate better terms. Is it by paying the lower guys more money, which has very little direct effect on the gate or TV numbers? Or is it by allocating precious revenue expense towards bigger name players that can potentially grow interest in the league? Well, the league has made their decision, and there really isn't much the Union can do about it.....nor, really should they, because in the end it simply makes more sense. Then, when the strategy works, and the league is more profitable....they go after higher min salaries, better benefits, stricter guarantees on contracts, more protection for free agent rights, etc. All the players unions had to go through this period to build up their negotiating power. The only difference is that MLS Players are doing it in the current day, while these battles where won by the other sports decades ago.
I've always heard there's a whole lot of "grocery money" that makes it's way to the lower level guys. Pure rumor, never head much more of it, but there has to be SOMETHING. These guys aren't starving to death, and they almost all have cars, apartments, etc. You simply can't survive on 13K a year. I know they could have jobs that help, but they would almost have to be like the jobs that certain college football players have held over the years.
They get subsidized living arrangements. They also do LOTS of clinics and player appearances to pick up spare cash.
if decades ago many NFL players were working for below-poverty-line wages, it wasn't okay then either. it may be the facts, jack, but that don't make it cool, fool.
for future reference you can find them on 3rd here... 2007 http://www.3rddegree.net/salaries/ 2006 http://www.3rddegree.net/salaries/2006-salaries/ 2005 http://www.3rddegree.net/salaries/2005-salaries/ which I just realized as a format error. I will fix that in a few.
It's not "cool" that anyone in the country works for those kinds of wages...but they do. In most cases it's because the people have no choice. In this case no one is forcing these guys to sign these contracts. There is no gun to their heads. They are making this choice. To Ryan's point any one of them could go out and get a service industry job tomorrow that pays them more money. There is virtually no barrier to them improving their financial situation. They willingly choose not to because they are following a dream. In life we frequently make such decisions......that's how the world works.
sure, but again, the way the world works is admittedly less than ideal. and we have to strive to improve the way the world works, even if we can never make it perfect. this public service announcement brought to you by...
Well, suffice to say that those that make such decisions are just a bit more interested in making MLS more "major" and a lot less interested in making the world a better place. And the same is said for just about every Corporate Executive in the world. So....good luck with all that.
Jason, without knowing how much allocation money Dallas has it's impossible to know the cap space. I'm sure Buzz could venture some guesses, but nothing would be concrete. Getting beyond the supposed salary injustices of those who willfully sign personal service contracts....there are some interesting figures here. Holy Crap....Ibby is making $83k and he's not even a full time roster player? Nice coin for a kid still going to high school. Kids got a good agent. I hope his contract is up soon....the Birdman needs to get PAID.
if you define the "quality of life" of humans as a priority, and are willing to extend that to those who you don't personally know and who aren't yet born (granted, all leaps of logic that require an interest in ethical questions outside of the normal course of daily events) then the answer is obvious, and setting the goal of progress along those lines becomes an innate part of your worldview. you've hinted at your own conservative (always read: social darwinistic) leanings on the board many times, so I figure you just happen to be in the always-larger group of people who don't make these difficult leaps. fortunately the majority of the population being disinterested or hostile to this admittedly unnatural ethical prioritizing doesn't tend to stop it in the long run.
And, yet, despite your lobbying and complaints of mistreatment, these players continued to willingly sign these contracts with full knowledge of the consequences. Most of them being college graduates clearly have other, more financially rewarding options to choose from. Do they really need you to "protect them" from their own decision to chase a dream? I fail to see the big difference between this and the person that willfully decides to devote their life to social work knowing that they will never make more than a pittance. Are you going to lobby the non-profit organizations to start paying their volunteers, too? I think in terms of social injustice, the developmental salaries of soccer players in MLS ranks just below the appalling lack of dental care for homeless people.
Hey... Parrothead They way I look at it 90% of the population don't care about anything but their bowl of rice the other 10% pushes the 90% for their bowl of rice. It all depends in which percentage you want to be in. Jeez stinking gaijin think they know it all.
things can't change overnight, nor should they, and I'm not advocating anything of the sort. I'm just stating the obvious fact that what is and what should be are not often the same things, and you can respond to this fact either with cynicism or with... uh, the opposite of cynicism. don't be too quick to dismiss the *notion* of change, or become too well-adjusted to any one set of conditions. if you do, you may pass up opportunities to make improvements, or forget what those opportunities look like. that's all I'm sayin'.
hehehe, I'll rep that. not everyone knows that word... and you know what? I actually don't like rice.